LELAND, NC (WWAY) — Leland Town Manager David Hollis says he will hear the appeals of three fired police officers next week.

Hollis says the hearings for Lt. Rick Dellapia, Lt. Bill Kozak and Ofc. John Blasingame are set for July 27. The three men were among five officers suspended in April. The other two quit.

Hollis says the process has taken so long because the attorney for the men has demanded access to an internal investigation the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office conducted for the Leland Police Department that led to the officers’ suspension and dismissal. Hollis says under state law, that report cannot be released. He says the three men each received a letter of termination that explains why they were dismissed.